


Artificial Stars

by lunariwaoi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25644559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunariwaoi/pseuds/lunariwaoi
Summary: Oikawa always tells himself not to expect things from people, that way he never gets disappointed. In spite of this, on the day of the Argentina vs Japan match, the day of his first international match against some of his lifelong rivals, the day of his birthday, he’d expected to leave the match with a gold medal on his neck and ring around his finger. He only left with one, and while it was nice to know that the confetti that fell from the ceiling was meant for his victory, he wished it was meant for something else.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 19
Kudos: 150





	Artificial Stars

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_Oikawa always tells himself not to expect things from people, that way he never gets disappointed. In spite of this, on the day of the Argentina vs Japan match, the day of his first international match against some of his lifelong rivals, the day of his birthday, he’d expected to leave the match with a gold medal on his neck and ring around his finger. He only left with one, and while it was nice to know that the confetti that fell from the ceiling was meant for his victory, he wished it was meant for something else._

This is it, this is _the moment_ , Oikawa thought to himself, watching as the ball flew from his fingertips, beautifully flying in a perfect arch towards his ace. He chewed on his bottom lip, standing on his tiptoes as he prepared himself to bump if necessary. The ball flew right into the vicinity of his ace’s hand, making perfect contact as he spiked it onto the other side of the court, the ball slamming into the ground at light speed, flinging back into the air upon impact. Japan’s libero ran after it, body firmly diving into the ground, his expression falling as he watched the ball drop at the edge of the court, missing his closed fist by only a few centimeters. It bounced a few feet back, rolling towards the wall before coming to a halt. _Silence._ Oikawa glanced at the scoreboard, watching as Argentina’s score changed from 14 to 15. It was over. They won the set, they won the match. The gold medal was Argentina’s, they defeated Japan for the third Olympics in a row, and for the first time with Oikawa Tooru as their starting setter. 

Oikawa raised his arms in the air, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he clenched his fist, yelling in victory. His scream was drowned out by the howls of the crowd, thousands of cheers blending together into one unanimous roar. His teammates gathered around him, slapping his back and thanking him for his serves, his tosses, his agility, his guidance. He’d never felt exultation like this before, he was overwhelmed by it, consumed by it. A smile stretched across his face, one free of inhibitions. Years of pain and struggle, years of tears, years of failure, all leading to this moment. A victory of international proportions, a victory for his past self, the one who used to be devoured by his insecurities, his feelings of inferiority. Gone were the days of comparing himself to his peers, gone were the days of him feeling threatened of being surpassed, he no longer had the need. He had made it to the top, by his own means, without the blood of a genius running through his veins.

Oikawa stood next to his teammates, bowing his head down as his name was called, his position and number booming through the stadium as his gold medal was placed around his neck, the medallion weighing heavy against his chest. He stood up straight, examining the medallion in his hand, thumb smoothing over the ridges of the Olympic rings. Pretty, he couldn’t help but think, fingers gliding over its surface over and over, like he was afraid that this was all a dream, like if he didn’t hold on to it it’d float away, and victory would be out of his reach once again. 

“Lo hiscimos, Toto!” _We did it_. His teammate exclaimed, Oikawa just smiled, nodding as he offered up a fist bump, not fully comprehending his words, mind too overwhelmed by the adrenaline rush of his triumph. He gazed up at the ceiling, watching as hundreds of blue and yellow confetti were released from their confines, showering down onto him and his team in a scattered swoop, covering them in an avalanche of blue and yellow hues.

He wiped some confetti off of his shoulder, looking past his teammates at the other side of the court, where Iwaizumi stood, completely surrounded by his town team. He looked happy, even though they had lost. He was glowing, in a way that Oikawa had never seen before, in a way that was different than how he had looked back when they were partners in Seijoh. He truly looked like he was finally where he was always meant to be, like he had finally found his home. 

Oikawa hated admitting it, but a part of him felt jealous. Even though he was used to playing on a team without Iwaizumi at his side, he still had not gotten used to the thought of Iwaizumi being on a team without him, even if he wasn’t playing with them himself. He narrowed his eyes, willing Iwaizumi to look at him, willing him to fulfill his fantasy. He’d thought about it for weeks, the implication of Iwaizumi proposing to him at the Olympics. He’d imagined Iwaizumi running towards him, how it’d feel like they were the only two people in the stadium as Iwaizumi would throw his arms around him, the feeling of euphoria of having the love of his life in his arms with his life’s dream hanging on his neck. He’d imagined Iwaizumi getting down on one knee, eyes shining as he looked up at him, the love in their eyes paralleling one another’s as he’d take that fateful box from his pocket, presenting it to Oikawa like an unspoken promise, the promise of forever. 

Oikawa wanted to walk over there, wanted to show the world that Iwaizumi Hajime was his, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wanted to be selfish, but the rational part of him stopped himself. He felt like he’d be intruding in their moment, he had his own team to tend to, after all. He turned back to his team, putting on his signature smile and swallowed down the lump that was quickly beginning to rise in his throat. This was his moment, his victory. He was under no obligation to share it with someone else. Iwaizumi could wait. 

Oikawa yawned, arms reaching towards the sky as he stretched his legs out on the balcony’s couch. His teammates had wanted to drag him to the after match party, but he had declined. He wasn’t in the mood to party, he just wanted to spend the last couple hours of his birthday alone, with only Iwaizumi to keep him company. He glanced back at the clear doors, watching Iwaizumi as he approached him, filled wine glasses in hand. Iwaizumi offered him a glass and Oikawa silently accepted it, taking a small sip before setting it down on the table.

“You did well today, Oikawa.” Iwaizumi said, gently lifting up Oikawa’s head so he could sit on the couch, before laying his head back in his lap. Oikawa looked up at him, a lazy smile playing on his lips as he reached up, gently caressing the underside of Iwaizumi’s jaw. Iwaizumi leaned into his touch, catching his hand in his own and pressing a chaste kiss on the center of his palm. Iwaizumi loves Oikawa’s hands, how they’re rough, calloused from years of playing volleyball, yet soft to the touch. He loves holding them, and as much as he hates to admit it, he relishes in the feeling of holding in his hand in public, loves showing off to the world that this beautiful, intelligent, talented, sought after man was his, and his alone. 

“Mhm, it really was an ‘extravagant family quarrel’, wasn’t it? I’ll never forget Ushiwaka-chan’s face when he realized you guys had lost, I wish I’d gotten a picture. I didn’t think he could make that kind of face.” Iwaizumi laughed, remembering Ushijima’s expression when Argentina had made their final point, his usually stoic expression had broken, almost like he was a robot that had malfunctioned.

“Ushijima couldn’t stop talking about you, you know. He was so excited to play against you again, almost made it seem like he had a crush on you.” Oikawa scoffed.

“Can’t help being so charming, it’s only natural Ushiwaka fell for me.” Oikawa paused, a smirk playing at his lips.

“You’re not jealous, are you, Iwa-chan?”

“Pfft, jealous of Ushiwaka? Maybe a little in high school, but not now.” He leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of Oikawa’s ear.

“After all, I’m the one with your head in my lap right now, aren’t I?” Oikawa playfully slapped Iwaizumi’s arm, turning his head to the side so Iwaizumi couldn’t see the blush that was quickly beginning to spread across Oikawa’s cheeks.

“You were kind of quiet on the way back to our room, is something bothering you?”

_Yeah, it’s almost the end of my birthday and we’ve been together for almost ten years and you missed the opportunity to propose to me on the biggest stage of my life._

But of course, Oikawa couldn’t say that, so he just shook his head, offering Iwaizumi his best smile. Iwaizumi just sighed, running his fingers through the tufts of Oikawa’s hair. He could see right through him, Oikawa’s always been good at hiding his emotions, keeping his true intentions under a thinly veiled mask, but Iwaizumi has never been fooled by his tactics. 

They talked about nonsense for a bit, their usual mindless banter, before transitioning into comfortable silence, both of them silently looking up at the night sky. Unlike in Miyagi, where the stars were numerous and seemed to stretch across the sky for miles, the stars in Tokyo were few, scattered and covered by a veil of smog. That was one of the things Oikawa missed the most about living in Japan, the stars. The stars in Argentina were beautiful, but their luster was nothing compared to the stars in his hometown, and nothing compared to the boy who gazed at them with him.

“I wanna show you something, but you’ll have to close your eyes when we get to the hallway, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. You better not let me fall down the stairs, Iwa-chan.”

“There’s an elevator, dumbass.” Iwaizumi ignored Oikawa’s pouting, helping him off his lap as he dragged him back inside, then out into the hotel corridor. Oikawa obediently closed his eyes, one hand covering them for good measure. Iwaizumi intertwined his fingers in his own, gently leading him towards the elevator.

“If you peak through your fingers I’ll beat your ass, Shittykawa.”

“Really?! calling me Shittykawa and threatening me on my birthday? So rude, Iwa-chan. You’re the worst boyfriend ever.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

Oikawa rambled as they walked, complaining about the steadily dropping temperature when they finally made it outside, before Iwaizumi stopped in his tracks, quickly replacing the hand covering Oikawa’s eyes with his own. Iwaizumi pressed his lips against Oikawa’s ear, the hairs on the nape of Oikawa’s neck rising at his touch.

“Alright, you ready?”

“Yeah, just get on with it already.”

“Three, two, one. Go ahead and open your eyes, Tooru.”

Oikawa opened his eyes, mouth falling open as he looked up at the sky. The night sky that was once a blank canvas was painted with glowing lanterns, floating aimlessly in the air, bringing light into the darkness, almost as if they were artificial stars.

“I know how much you love the stars, and how we’d always go stargazing back in Miyagi or in Argentina every year on your birthday. You can’t see the stars as well in Tokyo, and I knew we wouldn’t be able to make it back to Miyagi on time. So, I thought I’d bring the stars to you.” 

Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, smiling fondly at his expression, at how his eyes sparkled, at how the glow of the lanterns reflected against his pale skin. He was ethereal, the stars he was so fond of paled in comparison to him.

A lot of things changed about Oikawa since they were kids, he wasn’t the same lanky kid in their early years of elementary school, who hid himself from the world, choosing to immerse himself in the world of the cosmos instead. He took the world by storm, the world is in his hands now, there isn’t a single person in the volleyball world that hasn’t heard the name Oikawa Tooru, and Iwaizumi couldn’t be more proud. But one of the few things that didn’t change about Oikawa was his love for the stars, he still held the same dazed expression that he did the first time they had stargazed together, his fascination had only grown and fostered over the years, never dwindling, along with his smile. Everyone loved Oikawa’s smile, the way he’d smile so big and brightly, how he’d show off the whites of his teeth. But Iwaizumi’s favorite smile was the one Oikawa reserved for him and the stars alone, a soft smile, the kind of smile that was genuine, and not done to just please the one who saw it.

“Well? What do you think?”

“It was amazing Iwa-chan, I loved it...” He began, his eyes never leaving the lanterns, watching as a couple glowing lanterns inevitably floated past his line of eyesight.

“But how’d you do this? There’s so many…”

“I had a lot of help, I told the team that I wanted to do this for your birthday and they were pretty willing to help me out.”

“How much did you pay them?”

“I didn’t.”

“Iwa-chan… you’re a shitty liar, you know.” Iwaizumi sighed, scratching his head in resignation.

“Okay, I may or may not have given them a day off from training… or two..”

“Iwa-chan!”

“Who cares, what matters is that you loved it.”

“Yeah, I did.”

Oikawa just sighed, absentmindedly playing with Iwaizumi’s fingers as he laid his head against the crook of his neck. 

“I have one more gift for you.’

“Really? You spoil me too much, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi reached into his pocket, taking out a folded piece of paper.

“What is that?”

Iwaizumi unfolded it, looking down at it in consideration, before shoving it back in his pocket.

“Listen Tooru, we’ve known each other all of our lives. I don’t remember a single part of my life where you weren’t in it, even when we were both abroad you were an unwavering presence, a pillar that I could always rely on and fall back on. You were always there for me, at any time, even at fuck ass o clock in the morning it didn’t matter, you never faltered, you always listened to me even when you yourself were exhausted. You have no idea how hard it was to be away from you, to not be able to have you in my arms’ at a moments’ notice. There were so many nights when I just wanted to give up, to throw away my dreams just so I could be at your side because fuck, you are my dream, Tooru. But you didn’t let me, and I thank you for that. I can’t imagine being away from you for that long anymore, I’m tired of the distance, I want to wake up next to you every morning, forever and always.” He got down on one knee, and Oikawa just stared at him, unable to look away from the man beneath him, the man who was about to be by his side for all of time. He reached into his pocket, taking out a black velvet box and opening it up. Inside was a black ceramic wedding ring, the purple accents and white specs on the band giving the illusion of a galaxy incarnate.

“Oikawa Tooru, will you marry me?”

“Yes, holy shit, yes.” He couldn’t stop himself from shaking as Iwaizumi slipped the ring onto his finger, a perfect fit. He wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi, practically tackling him to the ground as he showered his face in kisses.

“You know, I was kind of upset earlier because I thought you were gonna propose at the stadium.” Iwaizumi looked up at him, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Seriously? That was your moment, Tooru, not ours. I wanted this to be special, I didn’t want anyone else to be part of it but us.”

“Call me selfish, but I didn’t want anyone else to see that pretty expression of yours when you realized I was proposing, I wanted to keep it to myself. You’re so beautiful, you know.”

Oikawa blushed, grateful for the night washing out the redness that was quickly rising up his neck. Iwaizumi rarely called him beautiful, he showered him in other praises but his beauty was something he complimented rarely, the few times he did were always memorable. Oikawa leaned his head against Iwaizumi’s shoulder, pressing his lips together, too afraid of what would come out of his mouth if he opened it. He distracted himself by staring up at the sky, watching the last couple of glowing lanterns float farther away, sinking into the depth of the night sky. He didn’t want to say it, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He couldn’t stop thinking about Iwaizumi’s expression after the match, how he seemed so at home with his new found team, Oikawa didn’t want to take that away from him by forcing him to drop everything just to be in Argentina with him.

“Won’t you miss Japan?” 

Iwaizumi glanced at him, frowning at the implication of his words.

“Of course, but I don’t care about where we are, Tooru. I told you, and I’ll tell you again. I don’t care about where we are, or what country we’re in, as long as you’re beside me and I can freely tell the world that I’m yours and that you’re mine, I’ll be happy.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I’d have to be pretty amazing to have someone like you at my side.”

“Stop being so kind to me, Iwa-chan. It’s freaking me out. Go back to making fun of me and calling me Shittykawa.”

“Hm, you won’t be Shittykawa anymore though… Shitooru has a ring to it, don’t you think?”

“I hate you, you’re the worst boyfriend ever.”

Iwaizumi just laughed, pressing a chaste kiss on Oikawa's lips.

“You mean ‘worst’ fiance.”

Oikawa smiled, kissing him back.

“Yeah, you’re the ‘worst’ fiance in the world, Hajime. I love you.”

“I love you too, Tooru.”

Change is hard, and for Iwaizumi, leaving the things he’d grown accustomed too was even harder, but as he stared into Tooru’s eyes, the eyes of the love of his life, the eyes that held the stars themselves, he felt no hesitation as he said those fateful words, the words that would seal their union for the rest of their lives.

“I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> hhey everyone ;) i'm mei and this is my first work on ao3 lawl.. um.. *puts on author hat* jkjk  
> kinda nervous about posting this but it is what it is, we all start somewhere and i am game to hear constructive criticism, i am constantly trying to improve my writing hehe ;) anyways um... hope you enjoyed this! keep it funky fresh muah muah kiss kiss xx


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